The Fall of Benjamin Wheeler
by umeboshi1
Summary: Ben Wheeler is always smiling, always joking, and always loving. But when Angela takes Emma away from him, he falls hard. And when rage consumes him, he decides to get back up and be the kind of father he was always afraid of becoming. Dark!Ben, Protective!Danny, lots of angst, lots of fluff. Starring: the whole cast! Warning for substance abuse, language, violence, self harm, etc.


**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters (and universe) of Baby Daddy. Someone else does. Someone not me.**

* * *

It had been another typical Friday night at the bar. Packed to the rafters with drunken twenty-somethings, sticky floorboards, and vomit in the bathrooms. The contrast with the bar during daytime hours could hardly be any more different. It's an hour past closing time, and Ben Wheeler _(single, young, good-looking father of one, single, did I say single?_ ) is wiping down the bar with one eye on the clock. He's the last to go, since he needs the extra cash, but he's also impatient to leave.

While cleaning out the last glass, he wonders if Danny put Emma to bed on time. He catches himself mid-thought and berates himself. Danny, Tucker, his mother, and Riley are all every much as parents as he is. If anything, it's Ben who makes the most mistakes.

Even now, eighteen months on since Angela left Emma on his doorstep, he still feels the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. Sometimes, it gets to a breaking point. Between long hours at work, dealing with the crazy drama that he and his makeshift family get into, as well as dealing with relationships and taking care of Emma – there are oft times when he finds himself leaning over the sink in a bathroom and staring into the mirror with a profound sense of wonder and terror. But this is fatherhood. This is his life. This is his Emma.

And when he walks out of that bathroom and finds Emma unsteadily getting to her little feet, reaching out for him…he finds it all too easy to smile and pull his child to his chest. The wonder and terror is still there – it always will be – but there's something else too. Something that blooms and rises, howls and spills over, something that mutes all doubt in his heart.

As the clock ticks closer to two in the morning, Ben finishes up in the bar and finally closes up. As he walks out onto the main street, he stretches and exhales. This is the best feeling. That moment right after a long shift at work. When all the hours seem to stretch endlessly before you and the night promises you rest. The night is steady, as is the traffic. In the city that never sleeps, two in the morning is as busy as two in the afternoon. The young father turns the corner and quickens his pace, each footstep falling in tempo with the one word echoing through his mind: _Emma, Emma, Emma, Emma._

As is expected, Tucker and Danny are already passed out in their respective rooms, hangovers awaiting them when they wake. Ben quietly enters his room and sees Emma standing in her crib, her pudgy little hands gripping onto the sides for support. Ben drops his bag and goes over to her, crooning, 'Hey Emma, hey baby!'

As he pulls her into his arms, he once again feels the surge in his chest and he holds her close, nuzzling his nose into the soft tufts of hair on the top of her head. Right now, standing the gloom of his room with his child in his arms, swaying and softly murmuring, he can't imagine being anywhere else. When Emma finally falls asleep, he lays her down in her crib and collapses onto his bed. He suddenly feels exhaustion settling into his bones and swiftly, gently, sleep overcomes him.

* * *

'Ben, BEN, wake up!'

It's a rough hand that shakes him awake. It's the urgency in Danny's voice that rouses him.

'Danny?' Ben sits up in bed, blinking blearily. 'What's up? And more importantly, what time is it?' His smile dies when he sees the worry in his brother's face. Ben glances over at Emma's crib and sees it empty. 'Where's Emma?'

'Emma's fine, she's with mom – but dude, that's not the problem.'

'Then what is?'

Danny hesitates, draws back. 'It's Angela.'

'What?' Ben pulls himself out of bed and grabs his jeans. 'She's here? Now?'

'Yeah. And Benny…she wants to take Emma away.'

To be overwhelmed is possibly an incorrect terminology for the phenomena. When most people describe being overwhelmed, there is still a sense of tension, a possibility. There is still a space and a promise of relief. When a parent is faced with the possible loss of a child, they are not merely overwhelmed.

They are completely engulfed.

And then they are lost.

* * *

 **Author's Note/Rant:**

 **I've been sick in bed the last few days and I've been doing nothing but watching Baby Daddy (while dabbling in the crack that is reality TV - omg, have you** **seen** **Real Housewives of Melbourne? Like what the actual fuck? It's amazing and horrible and so bad it's good). So, of course I'd write a fanfic about the cutest father-daughter combo ever and their wild and wacky family slash friends.**

 **One thing I can't get my head around is how horrible these characters are! They do nothing but con strangers and lie to each other, and yet they still end up being the sweetest, loving people ever. I feel super manipulated by the end of every episode, but goddammit I love it! And Ben Wheeler IS THE WORST. He's misogynistic and immature and self-centered, but I love that he's so flawed. And he would do anything for Emma, which redeems (some) of his unlikable qualities.**

 **Anyway, I don't have much plans for this fic. I want to lead it to a dark place (as I do with most of my stories on here). I love testing and torturing my characters, so expect to see a lot of this in the future. I found the dramatic moments in the show quite interesting, so I decided to expand on them here. Yes, this is an Emma-gets-taken-away-and-watch-Ben-fall-apart fic. But those are the best right? When life gets too easy, you're just waiting to die.**

 **Sorry for the long ass author's note. It's not really a note. More of a novel.**

 **Let me know what you think. Depending on the response, I'll either continue or nah.**

 **-Yuki**


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